Method of treating glass.



PATENTED APR. 16,1907) W. E. HEAL METHOD -OP- TREATING GLASS. APPLICATION Hum APR.5,1906.

I W/TNESSES INVENTOH WZZz'am .ZIfiaZ 1 By M 6 A TTOHNE Y8 State of Kansas,

p WILLIAM EHEAL, ,OF COFFEYVILLE, KANSAS METHOD O TREATING eLAssI]:

Specification of Letters Patent.

' Patented April 16, 1907.

Application filed .April 5, 15106. Serial No. 310,014.

To all whom it may concern.-

.Be it known that I, WILLIAM E. HEAL, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Coileyville, in the county of Montgomery and have invented a new and Improved Method of Treating Glass, of which the following. is a full, clear, and exact description.

I My invention relates to a system for treat ing glass, my more particular object being to draw the comme'rcia use and to enable the sheets to be made cheaply and yet be comparatively free from imperfectionsQ I "Reference is. to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part'of this specifica 'tion, in which similar characters of reference raised, so as to draw the glass;

- mounted upon the lower end of a tube 8 and.

indicate corresponding partslin all the figuresc Figure 1 is a vertical section on the line 1 '1 of Fig. 3, showing one form of apparatus used for carrying out my improved method, the 1 apparatus apkpearing at an initial stageof the operation. ig. 2 is a view somewhat similar to Fig. 1, but showing the dome, hereinafter more fully described, as partially Fig. 3 is a plan of the grid located at the lower edge of the dome and used for glass; and-Fig.

4 is a section upon the line in the direction of the ing the glass plates w ich are to be afterward separated therefrom.

A vessel 5 contains a quantity of fluid glass 6, to be made into plates. A dome 7 is connected with the lower edge 9 of this dome 7, and extending directly across the same are a number of rods 10 1.1 12, separated by spaces 13 14. The lower end of the tube 8 is enlarged at 8*, so as to afford a better grip I upon the dome The device is used as follows: The tube 8 is lowered until the lower edge 9 of the dome '7 and the bars 10 1 1 12 engage the surface of the molten glass 6.

The tube 8 is now gradually raised and at the same time compressed air is "forced downwardly through it. .As the dome 7 is gradually raised from the up er surface of the molten glass 6 the because of its adhesion is mo ten glass,

upwardly, as indicated in Fig. 2.' A

drawn cylinder 15, of glass, is thus formed, and as lass hardens,

the dome 7 is carried up the thus acquiring" a defimte thickness. The

19 20, as indicated in Fig.

lass into flat sheets suitable for" lifting the molten the greatest diameter of the dome. the dome 7' would of course tend to cause the molten glass adhering to the bars 10 11 12 forms sheets 16 '17 18, separated by spaces 4, the compressed air being supplied in a definite ratio relatively to the speed of ascent of the dome 7. The cylinder 15 is of uniform diameter throughout its entire length, and it may be drawn out to any length required. The cylinder containingthe plates .16 17 18 is next separated from the molten glass '6 and from the dome 7, which may be'done by cutting or breaking them away; The cylinder containing' the glass plates is now annealed, after which the cylinder is removed and the glass plates out into the shape required by commerce.

I am aware that efforts have heretofore been made to draw molten glass out into plates or sheets; but the efforts have not been successful. This is owing to-the fact that when the molten glass is made to adhere to a V surface which is gradually separated from the molten mass the plate'or sheet tends to contract indefinitely and cannot ordinarily be maintained of uniform width. I- avoid this by forming sheetsadherent to the internal wall of a containing or enveloping closed cylinder of glass, form diameter by above described.

It will be noted that when the dome 7 is first raised fromthe molten mass the diameter of the glass cylinder-is exactly the same as action of the air-pressure diameter of the glass cylinder to contract, especially at a point near the bottom, but this-is avoided by the counterbalancin'g effect of the compressed air. The air-pressure is not carried to such a high de ree as to cause the sides of the cylinder to ulge out,

but merely to the degree necessary to preserve a symmetrical and uniform shape of the cylinder and of the glass plates.

Since any number of the bars 10 1112 may be employed, it follows that any desired number of glass plates may be formed within the same cylinder and at, the same time. It will also be noted that uniformity in the width of the sheets of glass is maintained, because the sheets adhere to the internal walls of the en- Raising which is maintainedof univeloping cylinder, which is of uniform diameter throu hout. In other words, I have a method 0 supportin the edges of thesheets as drawn out gradual y. The cylinder by virtue'of the action of the claim as new and desire to secure by Letters while in a molten state, so as to form a cylin 1 der having sheets of glass extending across maintain the thickness and shape of the malass which consists in forming a closed m'em er of molten glass,'having'a sheet of glass 3'5 extending directly across said member, 1 apcompressed air maintains its shape, and es pecially its lateral dimensions, so that the edges of every sheet are prevented from contracting 0r-becoming distorted and-are also prevented from warping.

Having thus described my invention, 1

Patent 2 j 1. The method herein described of treating glass, which consists in drawing out said glass the same and separated from each other, and

a plying compressed air to maintain the s rape and lateral dimensions of said cylinder an of said sheets of glass asthe same are drawn out. i v

2. The method herein described of treating glass, which consists in bringinginto contact with said glass while ina molten state, a

member capable of adhering thereto, such member being closed'upon itself so as toform a cylinder-like member of glass, said memberbeing further providedwith rods extending across it and capable of adhering to the molten glass so as to form sheets, gradually raising said member from'the'main body of saidglass, and applying compressed air within said mem er so as to maintain the distention of said member of glass and thereby terial being drawn out into sheets.

3. The method herein described of treating plying compressed air within said member for the purpose of maintaining' said member and said sheet in a predetermined relation, and

gradually separating said member from the main body of glass as said compressed air is applied.

4. The combination of ayessel for con vtaining molten glass, a dome provided with rods for engaginglsaid molten glass and capable of adhering t ereto, means for separating said dome so as to draw out said mo ten glass,

and means for applying compressed air with-' in said dome.

5. As an article of manufacture, a'tubular Ymember adapted to transmit compressed air, and a dome conneted'with one'end of said tubular member and provided with a pluralglassto hardenwhile said sheet is thus supported at its edges by said body of glass.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name'to thissp'ecification'in theprese'nce of two subscribing witnesses.

4 WILLIAM E. HEAL.

'- "Witnesses: v

QWALTER COLEMAN,

' GEORGE GAMBLE. 

